Trumpet/How to gift Trumpet lessons to my father

My father's dream has always been to learn the trumpet. He had my brother and I at a very early age and has had to put his dream aside in order to give a good life. He is the best father one could ever hope for and he deserves to live his dreams.
I would like to surprise him with trumpet lessons and a nice instrument. I have read through some of the questions and I understand that he is the only one capable of finding the instrument which best suits his needs, however I would like to get him a starter trumpet which he can use for his music lessons.
What do you suggest?

Christine

AnswerBach, Schilke, Jupiter, Yamaha, and Getzen all make very good trumpets. Check the stores for what is available and get the best model you can afford. Many stores will have a selection of used trumpets, where any of these three brands in good condition will work.

You can rent him a horn for the first six months, as well, until he can participate in choosing his own horn. They're very personal. That might be best.

Stay away from trumpets that only cost $200 to $300 new. They might look good but they generally don't hold up well.

Expertise

I can answer your questions about Buescher trumpets and cornets. I have been playing Buescher for 35 years and collecting for 7.

Experience

I first started playing my grandfather's Buescher 400 trumpet in 1975. Since then I have done a lot of research, including original catalogs and advertisements that I own, correspondence with other Buescher owners, and obtaining my own Buescher collection, including six trumpets and three cornets.

Education/CredentialsI am a technical writer with 15 years experience. I have also been playing trumpet since 1975 and collecting Buescher for the past 7 years.